Diane Alberts: A trope is a many-splendored thing

Author Diane Alberts loves her some good romance tropes. Who doesn't? Here, she talks about her favorites, including the ones in her newest release, Faking It.

Diane: Everyone has a favorite type of romance book. Whether it is the time period, setting or trope. Some of you might not know what a trope is, so I'll fill you in. A trope is the underlying theme in a romance book, and it is always there — even if you didn't realize it at first. Examples of tropes are falling for your brother's best friend, ugly duckling turns into swan, opposites attract, or marriage of convenience. There are tons more I can't even go into, but these will give you a general gist of what tropes are.

Now think about it. What books do you gravitate toward? What tropes are an instant buy for you? For me, it's the brother's best friend. I love the idea of this (with a little bit of forbidden love thrown in for good measure) because the conflict is instantly built into the story. How will the brother react? Will he be OK with it, or will he rearrange the hero's face for daring to touch his little sister?

The fun part about writing tropes is we get to write in our favorite category romance, but in a way that it feels so fresh and new that you can't put it down. In my newest release with the Entangled Publishing Indulgence line, titled Faking It, I get to play with quite a few tropes. I'm going to dig into them now, and tell you some of my favorite stories that feature these tropes.

• The fake fiancé trope. I love, love, love this trope. My characters, Stephanie and Derek, get thrown into this trope when her jerk of a boss forces them into it. Neither one of them wants to play along, since they are attracted to one another, but don't want to act on their impulses.

One of my favorite books with a fake fiancé trope? My Boss's Fake Fiancée by Inara Scott.

• The older brother's best friend. As stated above, this is my favorite trope. Maybe it's because I never had a big brother, but I love the idea of this happening in real life. I always wanted a protective older brother who would scare away my boyfriends. (I know, the reality probably isn't as fun as the thought!) Stephanie has Aaron, her FBI agent brother. And guess who his best friend is? Derek, the hero. I'm not going to spoil the surprise of finding out how he reacts, though.

One of my favorite books with a brother's best friend trope? Her Forbidden Hero by Laura Kaye.

• Opposites attract. This is a fun trope, too, because most couples I know are complete opposites. They have nothing in common besides the fact that they love one another. Me and my hubby are a lot like this, actually. But yet, we've been married over 10½ years now. Stephanie and Derek are as opposite as opposite can be. She laughs freely and treats everything like it's a joke. He rarely cracks a smile and has a bit of a tormented past. Put them together, and they have quite a few interesting conversations … not to mention situations! ;)

One of my favorite books with the opposites attract trope? Recipe for Satisfaction by Gina Gordon.

There are more tropes in my book, Faking It, but I fear I've run out of time to list them! Thanks for stopping by and reading about my new release!

Here's the blurb for Faking It (courtesy of Entangled Publishing):

Derek Rory never meant to propose to his best friend's little sister. But when her boss tells a family-oriented investor he's Stephanie's fiancé, Derek can either play along or let her get fired. He's hardly one to turn away from a damsel in distress. If only that damsel wasn't adorable and sexy with a laugh that could melt any cold business mogul's heart.

When a business proposal becomes a marriage proposal, Stephanie Miller tries to keep it strictly boardroom. But when things get hot under the table, it's all they can do to stay apart. As the tangle of lies drags them deeper into the underhanded world of business politics, Stephanie finds herself in over her head — not just with her job, but with her "fiancé." His eyes are cold, but his kisses light her on fire. If she's not careful, she'll end up faking her way into a real romance.

To find out more about Diane and her books, you can visit her website, dianealberts.com.